Straight hole device



Feb. 8, 1944. E. E. MooRE 2,341,228

' STRAIGHT HOLE DEVICE I Filed Jan. 30, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

E/v/s Moore.

. \TTORNEYS.

Feb. 8, 1944. E. E] MOORE 2,341,228

STRAIGHTV HOLE DEVICE Filed Jan. 30 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Moofe ATTORNE YS.

Patented Feb. 8, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STRAIGHT HOLE DEVICE Elvis E. Moore, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Application January 30, 1942, Serial No. 428,953

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in instruments for recording the inclination and deflection of bore holes such as oil wells.

The principal object of this invention i the provision of an inclination recording mechanism for determining the deflection of bore holes from a straight line. It is adapted to be particularly used in connection with the drilling of oil wells and operates while the drill pipe of the well drilling equipment is rotating and the mud circulating.

Conventional bore hole inclination recording and determining mechanism must be in a position so that it will not rotate during the testing operation, and the drill pipe of the well drilling equipment cannot be moved nor the mud circulated for the period during which th test is being perfected. This period ranges in length from ten to fifteen minutes. Under such circumstances it is not unusual for the drill pipe to become stuck, resulting in the loss ofthe oil well, as well as the drill pipe. With this in mind, the present bore hole inclination determining mechanism is adapted to operate in a drill pipe while the latter is rotating and performing its usual work and while the mud is circulating, so that there is no liability of the drill pipe becoming stuck.

Other advantages will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts thruout the several views Figure 1 is a vertical cross sectional view taken thru the improved instrument.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the rotary chart or recording paper supporting member.

Figure 3 is a vertical cross sectional view taken thru the rotary chart supporting means of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing a latch to releasably hold the rotary chart supporting means against rotation.

Figure 5 is a vertical cross sectional view taken thru improved clockwork mechanism for controlling the time and efliciency of operation of the rotary chart supporting instrument or member.

Figure 6 is an inverted view of shock absorbing means adapted to be attached to the instrument of Figure 1 in case the latter is to be dropped into the oil drill pipe for a test.

Figures 7 and 8 are cross sectional views taken substantially on their respective lines in Figure 5 of the drawings.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the letter A may generally designate the improved instrument, which may include a main casing B; instrument supporting body C; a scribing means D; rotary chart recording paper supporting means E, and clockwork or control means F for the rotary chart supporting means E. 'Means G may be provided upon the casing B, in case the instrument is adapted to be lowered by means of a cable or line into the bore hole, or as an alternative, shock absorbing means H may be attached to the bottom of the casing B in case the latter is to be dropped into the drill tubing for testing the deflection of the bore hole.

The casing B is preferably of steel or other metal and includes a cylindrical body portion IE to the upper end of which is detachably connected a screw threaded cap I6; the lower end of which detachably receives a cap ll. Top and bottom caps I6 and I! have convexly rounded endsv to reduce resistance to travel in the drill pipe.

The instrument supporting body C is of cylin drical formation. It includes the main body or casing portion 20, the lower end 2| of which is closed and the upper end of which is internally screw threaded at 2| to detachably receive a plug or closure cap 22. This instrument supporting body 20 is externally screw threaded at its'upper end 23 for detachable connection with the internal screw threads at the top of the body portion I 5 of the main casing B, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. Within this instrument supporting body C there is adapted to be-supported the scribing means D; its operating means; the rotary chart supporting'means E, and the clockworkor control means The lower portion of the instrument supporting body C is provided with a U-shaped channel 30 adapted to receive abody of mercury 31 or other like fluid, the liquid level of which is adapted to control the scribing means D. The speed of passage of the mercury 3| from one leg of the U-shaped channel 30 to the other leg, is regulated by means of a valve 35. This valve 35 has a passageway 36 therein. It is adjustably threaded in a bushing 31 supported in the lower end of the body C at the bight of the channel 30. The bushing has a passageway therein. Turning the valve 30 will regulate the extent to which the mercury will pass from one leg of the channel to the other, and additionally will produce a damping efiect upon the mercury. The valve is calibrated to permit the mercury to seek it level without undue oscillation. Valve 35 is provided with a pointer or indicator 40, and the surface 4| may be graduated to indicate minutes, for a purpose which will subsequently appear. The valve head is located in the transverse passage at the lower end of the supporting body C, so that the same may be readily manipulated.

At the top of one of the legs of the mercury channel 30 is positioned the scribing means D. It consists of a float body or plug 45 having jewels or other bearing means 46 to permit movement with negligible friction. A pencil or other marking element 4! is supported by a spring arm 48 attached to the plug 45 and extends upwardly for operation within the rotary chart supporting means E, as will be subsequently described.

Valve means is provided at the top .of the other leg of the U-shaped mercury receiving channel or compartment 30, consisting of a screw threaded bushing sleeve 50 having a lower valve seat against which a valve 5| operates. The valve 5| is spring operated as at 52, .to;normally assume a seated position. The valve stem v58 extends upwardly .above the sleeve .50 for operation with the rotary chart supporting means E; the valve being unseated .at predetermined placement of the rotary chart supporting means so as to permit the mercury to play back and forth and operate the scribing means D.

The rotary chart supporting means E comprises a ring-shaped supporting body 60 having a depending skirt portion 6| of less external diameter than the body 60. At the juncture of the portions 60 and 6|, the under shoulder is provided with rollers 82 adapted to bear upon an annular flange 64 provided interiorly of the casing portion 30 of the instrument supporting body C. The body '60 of the chart supporting means E, at its top surface is similarly provided with rollers 66 adapted to receive the lower edge of the casing .of the clockwork or control means F in bearing relation thereagainst. An inwardly extending flange at the top of the chart supporting body 60 is provided with an internal gear a 6-! adapted to mesh with a pinion .68 of the driving mechanism of the clock or control means F. An annular socket I0 provided in the reduced skirt portion 6| of the rotary chart supporting means is adapted to detachably receive the chart or recording paper II. One portion of the lower end of the skirt 6| is externally recessed at I3 and adapted to receive the upper portion of the stem 53 of the mercury column control valve 5|. When the stem rests in this recess I3, the valve is closed. Asthe chart supporting means E rotates, the valve 5| is unseated to permit the mercury to seek its own level in the channel 30. As will be noted from Figure I of the drawings, the spring arm 48 extends upwardly inside of the skirt 6| and the pencilor scribing element 41 operates upon the chart or paper II, and as the chart supporting means rotates the scribing element will indicate upon it the level of the float or plug 45, as determined by the height of the column of mercury.

Aflatch or detent I5, shown in Figure 4 of the drawings, is spring urged at I6 into position to engage in a notch .11 (shown in Figure 2 of the drawings) to hold the rotary chart supporting means E in position against rotation, and in which position the stem53 of the valve will enter' the notch "I3 to permit closing of this mercur-y valve. The latch "I5 is unseated by the lower end of the clockwork or control means F when the latter is lowered into position in the instrument supporting body C.

The clockwork mechanism or control means F includes a cylindrical-shaped casing 90, hav ing positioned therein a stationary fluid supporting cylinder 8| in the lower part thereof, and an upper rotatable fluid supporting cylinder 82. The cylinder 82 includes an imperforate bottom wall 83; annular side wall .84 and a detachable top wall 85. Normally, the fluid cylinder 82 is held against rotation by means of a detent 0r latch 86, shown best in Figure 8 of the drawings which operates within a notch 81 in a side wall of the clock casing 89. This latch 86 has a control lever 88 pivoted at 89 and spring urged at 90. Tripping of the lever 88 will withdraw the latch .86Yand permit rotation of the fluid cylinder 82.

A shaft 9| is rotatably supported axially of the cylinder 83 in a step bearing 92* at the bottom of this cylinder. The shaft :9I has a coil spring 92 similar to a conventional clock spring which .is fastened at one end to the clock casing and at its other end to the shaft 9| and normally urges the shaft 9| in a clockwise direction. A pointer 93 is keyed .to the upper end of the shaft above the spring 92 and operates with respect to suitable delineations placed at 94 upon the inner surface of the top of the cylinder 80 for a purpose to be subsequently described. The shaft 9| has a trip arm 96 which actuates the latch lever 88 in order to trip the latch 86 for rotation of the cylinder 82 under the circumstances to be subsequently detailed.

The lower fluid cylinder 8| has a bottom wall 91; annular side wall 9.8 and a detachable cover 99. This cylinder 8| is keyed at I00 to hold 'it against rotation. It is provided with a central shaft I101 aligning with the shaft :9I .altho the shaft -IOI is detachably keyed .at I02 to the bottom 83 of the top cylinder '82. The shaft |0I extends axially thru the cylinder BI and below that cylinder it has a gear :I'02. A suitable support I03 may be provided for the shaft IOI, if desired. The gear I02 meshes with a :pinion I03 which isfkeyed upon a shaft I04. The shaft I04 is supported at its lower end, and below the clockwork :casing 80 it :carries the pinion 68 above referred to as meshing with the internal ,gear 61 of the rotary chart supporting means E.

Both the upper :and lower cylinders 82 and 8| respectively are provided with radially extending partitions I05 and I06 therein, rigid with the respective cylinders. They :block off one side of the chambers between the axial shafts andthe side, top and bottom walls of said cylinders against passage of fluid. While clearances are shown in Figure 5 for the edges of these cylinders adjacent the shafts 9| and IN, these clearances are exaggerated to illustrate that saidpartitions are not keyed or connected to said shafts.

The shafts 9| and :IOI within the chambers of the cylinders 82 and 8| respectively, are provided with laterally and radially extending vanes or blades I08 and I09. The clearances shown for these vanes are also exaggerated.

The operation of the improved recording instrument is as follows:

The speed of rotation of the drill pipe is determined. The valve 35 is then adjusted so that-its indicator designates upon the surface 4| the speed of rotation of the drill pipe. The instrument supporting body C is then screwed into the cylinder in the manner above described. The rotary chart supporting means E issupplied with a piece of recording paper designated at II in Figure 3 of the drawings. This rotary chart supporting means E is then placed in the instrument supporting body C with the rollers 62 bearing upon the annular flange 64. Of course the scribing element 41 is then in position to operate upon the recording paper, and the latch 15 fits in the notch 'I'I in order to hold the supporting body against rotation during assembling of the recording details. In this position the valve stem 53 is seated in the notch 13 permitting the valve I to be closed. The operator then takes the clock mechanism F and winds the same by rotating the shaft 9I counter-clockwise for one revolution and then part of a second revolution necessary to set the pointer 93 opposite a delineation on the surface 94 which designates the number of minutes which it will take the driller from the time of assemblage of the instrument in the drill pipe to get the drill pipe rotating the number of revolutions for which the valve 35 has been set. Usually this period is from five to ten minutes and the surface 94 is provided wlthdelineations (not shown) to permit the operator to indicate accurately this period of time.

The clock or control means F is then placed in the assembly upon the top of the rotary chart supporting means E. The keyway I2I in the easing 80 of the control mechanism F receives a key I22, shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, in order to permit of accurate placement of the clock mechanism. This keeps the clock casing from turning in the assemblage. Of course the gear 68 meshes with the internal gear 61 of the rotary chart supporting means E. The lower margin of the clock body 80 will release the latch I5 and this leaves the rotary chart supporting means E under control of the clock mechanism. The plug 22 is then screwed promptly into the top of the supporting body C and the cap I6 applied upon the instrument casing.

The instrument A is dropped inside of the drill pipe; the latter of course having been unscrewed at the floor and the drill pipe assembled is set in rotation. Hie driller, as above mentioned, has from five to ten minutes in which to rotate the drill pipe to the same speed of rotation as that for which the valve 35 has been set. At the expiration of this time the clock mechanism begins to turn the rotary chart supporting means E in the following manner:

It should be remembered that the cylinders BI and 82 of the control mechanism F are filled with a fluid. The viscosity of this fluid is well known and the openings I I5 calibrated accordingly. The spring 92, of course, rotates the shaft 9I and the vane I08 moves with the shaft 9|. The fluid in the cylinder 82 offers resistance to the movement of the vane. The fluid, however, passes thru the calibrated opening H5 and allows the vane to turn slowly. It takes the vane I08 from five to ten minutes, depending upon the setting of the pointer 93, to reach the partition I05. As the vane I08 reaches the partition I05, the arm 96 trips the latch 86 and permits the entire upper cylinder 82 to start rotating. This in turn starts rotation of the gear 68 thru the chain of gears operating 01f of the shaft IOI. Rotation of the shaft IOI, however, is retarded by the fluid in the cylinder 8!. The vane I09 is, of course, fixed with the shaft IOI and the opening I I5 is so calibrated that the vane I09 will move from normal to the partition I06 in thirty seconds. It is during this period of thirty seconds that the chart supporting means E is rotated for recording deflection upon the paper I I. The check valves I I0 in the vanes I08 and I09 permit the vanes to be rotated easily in a counter-clockwise direction for resetting the clock assemblage.

' It will be readily understood that when the valve 5| is opened, the two columns of mercury in the U-shaped channel 30 are free to move. If the bore hole is perfectly straight or vertical, the mercury will not move upwardly or downwardly in either column. If the bore hole is at an inclination to the vertical, the columns of mercury will move up and down with each revolution of the drill pipe. The greater the number of degrees ofi of vertical, the greater will be the travel of the mercury in these columns.

It is perfectly apparent that the valve 35 acts as a damper upon the movement of the mercury. It is calibrated to permit the mercury to seek its own level without undue oscillation and this is the reason for setting the valve to correspond with the drill pipe revolutions per minute.

The floating plug 45 rises and falls with the variation in level of the mercury, and during the thirty seconds period above mentioned, the rotary chart supporting means E completes one revolution of 360 and stops. Of course at the end of this movement the valve 5| again closes. The driller continues to rotate the'drill pipe until he is satisfied that the test has been completed and the drill stem is then pulled from the hole and the device removed. The recording paper will indicate the variation in inclination of the bore hole, from the vertical.

I may operate this device by suspending same from a steel cable attached to a swivel G at the top of the instrument A, as shown in Figure 1. It may b also operated by dropping the entire instrument into the drill pipe. If the latter procedure is adapted, I prefer to provide some shock absorbing means such as shown at H in Figure 6 ofthe drawings. This shock absorbing means consists of a coupling I35 which is adapted to be detachably connected to the lower end of the instrument casing I5 in place of the cap H. The coupling i 35 is provided with a supporting sleeve I36 in which a plunger I31 operates. A spring I38 normally maintains the plunger I31 outwardly in the sleeve I36. The plunger may be provided with a pointed conical-shaped head I40 having vanes, if desired. Suitable openings MI may be provided in the sleeve to regulate the building up of pressure in the sleeve as the shock absorbing means hits the bottom of the drill s em.

The only difference between operations of the device in a drill stem is this. If the instrument is supported upon a steel cable, the mud cannot be circulated in the drill pipe. With the use of a cable, the test can be made at any depth along the drill pipe. Most tests, however, are taken at the bottom of the drill pipe. The usual procedure is to test for deviation at a depth of 500'. If the bore hole is less than 1 from vertical, the well is drilled to 1000' before another test is made. If the well is still less than 1 off vertical, the drilling proceeds. Whenever the deviation is more than 1, less weight is placed upon the drill bit so as to permit the bit by gravity to come back into vertical position.

I have found that the proper clearance between the outside of the casing I5 and the inside surface of the drill pipe is about A. This will permit the instrument to drop thru the mud in the pipe approximately 1000' per minute, so as to give the ,driller a rough estimate of when the device is at the bottom of the drill pipe. Assuming that the well is 5000' deep, it would take the instrument five minutes to drop to the bottom of the drill pipe. Under such circumstances, the driller would probably set the device to start rotating the chart supporting means E in eight minutes. He would then know that the device would be securely lodged in the bottom of the drill pipe after a period of eight minutes and he would have this length of time to get the drill pipe rotating at the speed for which the valve 35 has been set.

Various changes in the steps of the process, and in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In an inclination recorder the combination of a casing adapted to be positioned within a drill pipe, means for sup-porting a recording strip in the casing, scribing means for the recording strip, interconnected columns of liquid, one of which at least supports said scribing means for movement with the movement of said columns, and means for calibrating the passage of liquid from one column to the other.

2. In an inclination recorder the combination of a supporting casing having a chamber therein, scribing means including a float in the casing, a mercury column adapted to vary in level as the casing is positioned off vertical, valve means for controlling the flow of mercury from and into said column, a rotary recording paper supporting means mounted in the casing, and clockwork means to rotate the latter.

3. In an inclination recorder the combination of a supporting casing having a chamber therein, scribing means including a float in the easing, a mercury column adapted to vary in level as the casing is positioned off vertical, valve means for controlling the flow of mercury from and intosaid column, a rotary recording papersupporting meansmounted in the casing, and clockwork means to rotate the latter including means for delayed rotation of the recording paper supporting means after a predetermined interval.

4. In an inclination recorder the combination of a supporting casing having a chamber therein, scribing means including a float in the casing, a mercury column adapted to vary in level as the casing is positioned off vertical, valve means for controlling the flow of mercury from and into said column, a rotary recording paper. supporting means mounted in the casing, clockwork means to rotate the latter including means for delayed rotation of the recording paper supporting means after a, predetermined interval, and means for varying said interval.

5. In a recording instrument for recording the deflection from a straight line, the combination of a supporting casing, a U-shaped column of mercury in the casing, valve means for regulating the operativeness of the column of mercury, scribing means controlled by the column of mercury, a record receiving element, and means for supporting the element upon which the recordis to be made so as to seat or unseat said valve when in different positions.

6. In a deflectionrecording instrument for oil wells the combination of an elongated casing for dropping in the well, a cylindrical-shaped member rotatably supported in the casing, clockwork means in the casing for rotating said cylindricalshaped member, means in the member for supporting a record strip in an annular position, scribing means in the casing for the record strip, and a liquid column in the casing movable responsive to tilting movement of the casing for operating said scribing means.

ELVIS E. MOORE. 

